Takumo Sato's start????

What keeps the guys in back from starting early?

Most sports that start from a standing-start usualy have many false-starts?

Why not F1?

 

I tivoed it and replayed it in super slow mo a few times as I thought he left early. All I could see is he had a great start and was moving after the lights when out but before anyone else reacted

 

Sato did jump the start..
http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=52083

 

He ended even earlier than he started...

 

Agreed 100%. That car should have been pulled out by BAR Team heads a long time before it blew up. Smoke coming out of a car is never good. You are not going to end the race with smoke coming out of the car so early. Poor DC bore the brunt of the incedent when he got rammed from behind.

 

F1 uses induction lines in the asphalt, which detect early movements of a F1 car. If you jump the start, you will get penalized, normally a drive through the pitlane or 10 second stop penalty.

The press/other drivers might say he jumped the start. I don't think he did, as normally a statement would have been issued by the marshalls. His early retirement might have prevented that though.

As far as him bumping MS goes: Well, that's racing.

 

I wonder whether Sato's engine failure is directly related to his start. Did he over-rev the engine?

 

Interesting question since this year we don't have launch control anymore.

Personally I'd think it was unrelated and probably caused by the 2nd start.

PS: Panis didn't cause the 2nd start (as the Speed commentators assumed). It was a technical glitch with the start equipment.

 

What are the physics/strategies behind quick starts? You'd think that Ferrari would be up on this. What makes Renault/BAR have such quick starts yet Ferrari's are normally lackluster - does it have to do with the tires?

 

That's the ten million dollar question, isn't it?

I don't think it has anything to do with the tires. Obviously drivers' reaction time plays a role. Also the pressure of the WC: You don't want to jump the start if you have a WC at stake, whereas otherwise you can play games.

Allegedly Renault has a system, that is capable of "reading" the induction lines in the tarmac. Technically imaginable, although at this moment only a rumour.

Launch control per se are banned this year, but knowing F1 that doesn't mean they are completely gone. Just speced down and better hidden...

 

I think the general consensus now is that he did in fact jump the start.
As for bumping our man I think it was incidental and should be considered a racing incident. Obviously he used very poor judgement to continue racing with his engine giving signals of an immanent failure. Those track marshalls were extremly lucky they did,nt get killed by the subsequent crash , Sauber should send BAR the repair bill. McLaren too. Did,nt you all love it when Ross Brawn said " it would,nt be a total disaster if we did,nt win every race this season" That was great! I say WC for Schumacher by Magny Cours or sooner. Barrichello put in a good race considering the technical issues he was faced with.